I had been already living in Cambodia for a few years. My family had left our very comfortable life in Australia and packed up our life for the adventure of our lives. I had noticed my children had already began to adapt much of the Khmer culture in our everyday lives. We had emerged ourselves into this new foreign world.
I had gotten sick and felt like death warmed up. My neighbor had heard I was ill and had been worried about me and popped over for a visit. She came with her daughter who speaks impeccable English. Her daughter told me her mother was concerned for me and knew I needed to get my power back as soon as possible being a mother of such a large family like herself. Desperate to feel better I agreed, without even a slight idea of what I was getting myself into.
Her mother produced a small jar of Tiger balm from her bag and coin. I had assumed my lovely neighbor had plans of smothering me in the lotion and rugging me up all cosy in bed again. I was wrong.
She began rubbing balm over half my back, the warmth from the balm mixed with the chill of the fan and my fever instantly gave me chills and goosebumps. What a sweet, sweet woman I thought. Next, I felt a slight burning sensation and what I can only describe as a feeling close to getting a tattoo. What on earth is she doing? I thought to myself as the pain increased but still keep silent, not wanting to offend my caring neighbor.
"My mother is giving you kha-yal , it helps to bring the bad out of your body so you can heal. " All I thought was, if this is how to get the bad out, it can stay there and prayed whatever she is doing to me please be over soon...... I was now in agony! She went on to tell me this is how many people receive relief from many ailments in Cambodia. Young children with common colds were gently sat on and had received treatment to scrape away the illness and restore health. Surely if a child can endure this, me having 5 children under my belt would be able to get through this I tried to tell myself. Trying not to groan and wince and just get through it.
Finally, after 40 minutes, which felt like 40 hours, I was done! She applied a final layer of Tiger Balm, wrapped me in a blanket and told me to sleep.
I had made it this far I thought , and with a very open mind eagerly looked forward awakening the following morning opening my eyes and being back to feeling my tip top self.
I awoke many times through that evening. It hurt to lay on my back and side and hurt to shift positions. I barely slept a wink. The following morning I woke up feeling even worse than the day before. I kept thinking back to my own childhood. I was be a bit off a drama queen with the slightest ailment. My grandfather would always say when I was moaning, "Bring me the hammer and I will whack your foot! Then you will forget all about this little cold." Maybe that's the theory behind this practice I thought. This pain had certainly made me forget what made me even sick in the first place.
But then, the following morning I awoke feeling more energetic and more fabulous then I had felt in years. I was healed!
Now, I am not saying it was the coining....... but maybe, just maybe it was. After all, why would so many generations of people put themselves through so much pain for little or no benefit at all? I felt like I still didn't know if this practice actually worked or if it was all in my head. Maybe I could try it again?
I have since had kha-yal done 4 times in the past 5 years. Each time with a tears rolling out of my eyes I question my sanity to come back and endure it again. Yet, something always brings me back to it. Especially when feeling so sick and desperate to feel well again. Although, I do feel sorry for my husband and the nasty glares he receives from tourists as we walk hand in had with me covered in bruises for about a week.
Kha-yal receives a lot of mixed reviews and even now I can still not really tell you if this form of treatment actually works. But for me, in my desperate times of need, it really does.
